Career Timeline of Tommy Tuberville: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Tommy Tuberville built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Tommy Tuberville is an American politician and former college football coach currently serving as the senior United States Senator from Alabama since 2021. Prior to his political career, he held head coaching positions at four universities: the University of Mississippi (1995-1998), Auburn University (1999-2008), Texas Tech University (2010-2012), and the University of Cincinnati (2013-2016). His career spans both the realms of collegiate athletics and national politics.
1951: Last Texas Tech Coach to Win Bowl Game First Season
In 1951, DeWitt Weaver first season, he was the first to accomplish the feat, before Tuberville in 2011.
1982: Auburn Broke Alabama's Winning Streak
In 1982, Auburn broke Alabama's nine-year winning streak, a feat Auburn would later surpass during Tuberville's tenure.
1986: Assistant Coach at Miami
In 1986, Tuberville began working as an assistant coach at the University of Miami.
1993: Defensive Coordinator at Miami
In 1993, Tuberville was the defensive coordinator at the University of Miami.
1994: Defensive Coordinator at Texas A&M
In 1994, Tuberville became the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M University.
1994: Head Coaching Job at Ole Miss
In 1994, Tuberville got his first collegiate head coaching job at the University of Mississippi.
1995: Head Coach at Ole Miss
In 1995, Tuberville became the head football coach at the University of Mississippi, starting his head coaching career.
1998: End of Tenure at Ole Miss
In 1998, Tuberville concluded his time as head football coach at Ole Miss.
1998: Joined Auburn University
Tuberville left Ole Miss after the 1998 season to take the head coaching job at Auburn University.
1999: Head Coach at Auburn University
In 1999, Tuberville became the head football coach at Auburn University, a position he held until 2008.
2004: Starting backfield lost to NFL
Auburn lost their entire starting backfield to the NFL draft in 2004.
2004: Four First-Round NFL Draft Picks
In 2004, Tuberville coached 19 players who were selected in the NFL draft, including four first-round picks.
2004: SEC Championship at Auburn
In 2004, Tuberville guided Auburn to the top of the SEC standings, leading them to an SEC championship and the Western Division title.
2007: 100th Career Win
In 2007, Tuberville achieved his 100th career win as a coach.
October 8, 2008: Fired Tony Franklin
On October 8, 2008, Tuberville fired offensive coordinator Tony Franklin.
December 2008: Formed TS Capital Management
In December 2008, Tuberville formed a 50-50 partnership with John David Stroud, creating TS Capital Management and TS Capital Partners.
2008: Departure from Auburn
In 2008, Tuberville concluded his tenure as head football coach at Auburn University, marking the end of a significant chapter in his coaching career.
2009: Analyst and Cameo Appearance
During the 2009 football season, Tuberville worked as an analyst for Buster Sports and ESPN and made a cameo appearance in the film "The Blind Side".
December 31, 2009: Expressed Interest in Texas Tech Job
On December 31, 2009, Tuberville expressed his interest in becoming head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
January 9, 2010: Named Head Coach at Texas Tech
On January 9, 2010, Tuberville was named the head coach at Texas Tech.
2010: Head Coach at Texas Tech
In 2010, Tuberville became the head football coach at Texas Tech University.
January 1, 2011: Won Bowl Game
On January 1, 2011, Tuberville became the second head coach in Texas Tech history to win a bowl game in his first season.
January 18, 2011: Contract Extension at Texas Tech
On January 18, 2011, Tuberville received a one-year contract extension and a $500,000 per year raise at Texas Tech.
December 8, 2012: Resigned from Texas Tech
On December 8, 2012, Tuberville resigned as head coach at Texas Tech to become the head coach at the University of Cincinnati.
2012: End of Texas Tech Coaching
In 2012, Tuberville ended his time as head football coach at Texas Tech University.
2013: Head Coach at Cincinnati
In 2013, Tuberville became the head football coach at the University of Cincinnati.
2013: First Season with Cincinnati
In 2013, Tuberville's first season with Cincinnati, he led the Bearcats to a 9-4 record.
2014: Founded Tommy Tuberville Foundation
In 2014, Tuberville founded the Tommy Tuberville Foundation to support military and veterans, health initiatives, and education/community programs.
2014: American Athletic Conference Co-Champions
In 2014, Tuberville's team was 9–4 and earned an American Athletic Conference co-championship.
2014: Mahomes played at Texas Tech
Patrick Mahomes played at Texas Tech from 2014 to 2016.
2015: President of American Football Coaches Association
In 2015, Tuberville served as the president of the American Football Coaches Association.
2015: Contracted Through 2015
January 18, 2011, Tuberville's salary was $2 million through the 2015 season.
December 4, 2016: Resigned from Cincinnati
On December 4, 2016, Tuberville resigned as head coach of Cincinnati after a 4–8 season.
2016: Russian Interference in US Elections
In 2016, Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the United States elections.
2016: End of Cincinnati Coaching
In 2016, Tuberville's tenure as head football coach at the University of Cincinnati came to an end.
2016: Mahomes played at Texas Tech
Patrick Mahomes played at Texas Tech from 2014 to 2016.
2017: ESPN Color Analyst
In 2017, Tuberville worked as a color analyst for ESPN's college football coverage.
April 2019: Tuberville Announced Senate Run
In April 2019, Tommy Tuberville announced his candidacy for the 2020 Republican primary for the Senate seat held by Democrat Doug Jones.
March 3, 2020: Tuberville Advances to Runoff Election
On March 3, 2020, Tuberville received 33.4% of the vote in the Republican primary, leading Jeff Sessions (31.6%) and advancing to a runoff election due to no candidate reaching over 50% of the vote.
May 2020: Trump Calls Sessions "Slime"
In May 2020, Donald Trump called Jeff Sessions "slime" for recusing himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.
November 26, 2020: Tuberville Appoints Chief of Staff
On November 26, 2020, Tuberville announced Stephen Boyd as his chief of staff, who was previously the assistant attorney general for the Office of Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice.
2020: Tuberville Senate Campaign
In 2020, Tommy Tuberville's Senate campaign was described as "low-profile," with few pre-scheduled campaign appearances or press conferences. He closely allied himself with President Donald Trump.
2020: Elected to the Senate
In 2020, Tuberville won the Republican nomination for the Senate election in Alabama and defeated incumbent Doug Jones.
May 28, 2021: Tuberville Votes Against Capitol Attack Commission
On May 28, 2021, Tuberville voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the 2021 United States Capitol attack.
2021: Became US Senator
In 2021, Tuberville became the senior United States senator from Alabama, marking his entry into national politics.
May 2022: Financial Freedom Act Introduced
In May 2022, Tuberville introduced the Financial Freedom Act of 2022, which would allow for the inclusion of cryptocurrency in individual retirement accounts.
June 2022: Tuberville Calls Overturning of Roe v. Wade a "Victory for Life"
In June 2022, after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Tuberville called it a "victory for life".
February 1, 2023: Tuberville Announced Committee Assignments
On February 1, 2023, Tuberville announced his committee assignments for the 118th Congress.
February 2023: Tuberville Co-Sponsors Bill on Gender Dysphoria in Military
In February 2023, Tuberville co-sponsored a bill to prevent people with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria from serving in the U.S. military, with limited exceptions.
March 2023: Tuberville Reintroduces Transgender Sports Bill
In March 2023, Tuberville reintroduced a bill to forbid public schools from allowing a trans girl or woman to participate in a girl's or women's sport.
December 5, 2023: Tuberville Partially Lifts Hold on Military Promotions
On December 5, 2023, Tuberville largely lifted his hold on military promotions, which had blocked 451 promotions during the previous week; the Senate responded by promoting 425 military officers.
2023: Senior Senator for Alabama
In 2023, Tuberville became Alabama's senior senator upon Richard Shelby's retirement.
2023: Tuberville Votes Against Fiscal Responsibility Act
In 2023, Tuberville was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, stating the bill did not go far enough to reform the budget.
November 12, 2024: Tuberville Announces Reelection Campaign
On November 12, 2024, Tuberville announced his candidacy for reelection for a second term in the 2026 elections.
2026: Upcoming Election Year
In 2026, Tuberville will be up for reelection for a second term.
